• Amac HQ is a multidisciplinary art and culture lab founded and directed by Andy Mac.

    Established as a creative foundry operating at the intersection of contemporary curatorial practice, art making and cultural archaeological research.

    Amac HQ creates self-generated cultural projects and collaborates with institutions, cities, festivals, and artists internationally.

    Operating in the liminal spaces between established categories, Amac HQ creates temporary autonomous zones where different rules apply: street art becomes a museum collection, tea becomes experience, once-forgotten laneways become international cultural destinations. Each project feeds the others in an ecological network of creative practice.

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    Amac HQ's practice encompasses curatorial methodology, independent publishing, public installations, festival programming, documentary film and photography, and experimental archaeology and research.

    Amac HQ operates through several subsidiary platforms established over three decades:

    • Citylights Projects (1995-present)
      Street art gallery systems & public art

    • Until Never (2005-2012)
      Contemporary gallery space

    • Citylights Until Never Archive (1995 - present)
      Documenting the evolution of Australian street art

    • Temporary Autonomous Zones (1995 - present)
      Collaborations and interventions

    • Asphalt Teahaüs (2016 - present)
      Experimental tea experiences

    • Anchovie Press (2025 - present)
      Independent publishing

      This approach enables Amac HQ to operate across diverse contexts, from street gallery systems, to cave art research projects, to institutional collections, to festival interventions, to teahaus experiences.
  • Andy Mac is an artist, curator, gallerist, publisher, and cultural archaeologist.

    Over 30 years, he has curated more than 265 exhibitions and projects, supporting over 1,500 artists across various venues, including galleries, street installations, festivals, and institutional spaces.

    His work features wordplay and text art, collaborative public art, Temporary Autonomous Zones (T.A.Z.), embedded documentary practices, photography, archiving, and curatorial methodology.

    Based in the Flinders Lane district of Melbourne from 1992-2012, Mac established Citylights Projects in 1995, creating Australia's first permanent street art gallery system.

    Mac's interventions in Centre Place and Hosier Lane, created Temporary Autonomous Zones in public urban space, becoming magnets for self-perpetuating, unsanctioned, and independent street art. These two internationally renowned streets have been at the epicentre of Australian street art for over 30 years.

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    From 1992 to 2012, Mac documented the Melbourne CBD street culture in which he was embedded, leading to the creation of the Citylights Until Never Archive. The archive comprises photography, video, artwork, documents, correspondence, publications, and ephemera, focusing on street and public art by Australian and international artists.

    Mac's curatorial practice led to the National Gallery of Australia's acquisition of 274 works from his collection of Australian street stencils in 2004, marking the first significant institutional recognition of Australian street art. This acquisition affirmed Mac as a catalyst in the development of Australian street art, and his role in identifying and elevating emerging cultural movements.

  • Mac has exhibited under the moniker Amac throughout Australia and internationally, most recently as Artist in Residence and Visual Arts Curator for Falls Festival Byron Bay. His collaborative curatorial approach spans transient public interventions and international art institutions, while maintaining an underground sensibility that views culture as a dynamic ecosystem.

    Mac's practice integrates diverse philosophical and cultural influences, including Dada, punk, Situationism, Bauhaus, Arte Povera, rave, The KLF, and The Way of Tea. His Asphalt Teahaüs project incorporates many of these influences: a temporary autonomous zone operating as a transient visual art space with rave and street art aesthetics, a creative philosophy (Your Eyes are like a Cup of Tea), and an open-air tea experience.

    Mac's publishing venture, Anchovie Press, will release its first series of publications in 2025, featuring research subjects ranging from experimental archaeology to contemporary tea experiences. His curatorial background in street and public art informs his investigation of ancient artistic practices (and vice versa), particularly the exploration of the effect of place context on humanity's earliest visual art in public spaces.

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    Mac’s work is published in notable outlets such as Wallpaper, Financial Times, Le Monde, Apple Daily, The Age, Monument, Rolling Stone, ABC, SBS, Lonely Planet, Shift, PLUS 81, Wooster Collective, World Signs, and The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. He has lectured and conducted workshops at galleries and institutions across Australia.

    Collaborators include the Museum of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, City of Melbourne, World Bank, ACCA, Lonely Planet, Tourism Victoria, Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Molonglo, Baluk Arts, Craft Mafia and Adidas.

    Mac's work is in collections of the National Gallery of Australia, City of Melbourne, Multiplex, MTV, Molonglo, Sandrew, and private collections.

Okyokan Teahouse, Tokyo National Museum

Amac - Selected CV

Founder / Director / Curator

2025 – (Current) Anchovie Press
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief

2023 – (Current) Amac HQ
Founder / Director

2017 – 2023 Falls Festival Byron Bay
Art Program Curator / Artist-in-Residence

2021 – 2022 NRCG Ballina
Creative Producer

2016 – 2020 Lone Goat Gallery
Director / Curator

2016 – (Current) Asphalt Teahaüs
Founder / Tea Master

2014 – 2019 Splendour in The Craft
Art Director / Producer / Artist-in-Residence for Craft Mafia at Splendour in The Grass

2005 – 2012 Until Never
Founder / Director / Curator

1998 – 2012 Misty
Co-Founder/Designer/Creative Director

1995 – (Current) Citylights Projects
Founder / Director / Curator

1994 – 1995 Exhibit A
Founder / Curator

Exhibitions Curator

2022 Carbon
Marcie O'Neill
The Dusty Road Byron Bay NSW

2020 Umutja Dreaming
Nelly Napanangka Patterson
Bangalow A&I Hall NSW

2018 La Henge
Falls Festival Byron Bay

2017 Goat Show
Lone Goat Gallery Byron Bay

2014 – 2015 Rock Poster Archive Mural
The Triffid New Farm Brisbane

2012 The Andy Mac Collection
Leonard Joel Melbourne

2009 Biik Land
Baluk Arts
Until Never. Hosier Lane, Melbourne

2009 Nairm Djambana
Baluk Arts
City Library Melbourne

2009 Spooky Action at A Distance
Martin Bell, Anat Ben David
Newacton, Molonglo, Canberra

2009 Elaborate Trophies
Al Stark
Newacton, Molonglo, Canberra

2007 Salon Sideways
Until Never, Hosier Lane, Melbourne

2007 End to End Billboard Project
Fred Fowler, Adidas
Punt Road Melbourne

2007 GMO Curvy
Rutledge Lane/ Hosier Lane, Melbourne

2007 St Kilda Festival Tram Project
St Kilda Line Tram, Foxtel, Melbourne

2005 Rumble
Until Never, Hosier Lane, Melbourne

2006 Alpha Spectrum
Artists from Alpha Autism
Citylights Hosier Lane

2005 Salon 1
Until Never, Hosier Lane, Melbourne

2005 GMO Diablo
Art production/curation for Ghostrider film,
Hosier Lane / Rutledge Lane Melbourne

2005 L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival
Greville Street Prahran Melbourne

2005 Black N’ White/Paper Ninjas
Melbourne Stencil Festival
The Meat Market North Melbourne

2004 Rats Alliance
SubUrban
National Gallery of Australia Canberra

2004 Outside the Square
World Square Sydney

2004 Zaishu Project
The State of Design Festival
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art

2004 Ash Keating & Reka
Space Furniture Sydney

2004 Skylounge
National Museum of Australia Canberra

2004 Freeze Mutherstika
Big Day Out Melbourne

2003 Sprayway Rutledge Lane
Melbourne

2003 – 2004 67 Percent Say They Were Misled
Vienna, Temple Bar/Dublin, Spark Alley /Melbourne

2003 Superslide
Ourspot Sydney

2003 Secret Spray Society
Misty Hosier Lane Melbourne

2002 Citylights Attack!!
George St Melbourne

2002 Redux - Dredder Than Dredd
Citylights Hosier Lane Melbourne

2002 Throw Up
Citylights Hosier Lane / Centre Place Melbourne

2001 Up in Smoke
Citylights Hosier Lane Melbourne

2001 Salon Calpis
Misty Hosier Lane Melbourne

2000 Eden2001
Citylights Hosier Lane Melbourne

2000 Wholelottalove
Citylights Hosier Lane Melbourne

2000 Treaty!
Citylights Centre Place Melbourne

2000 Xpunk
Citylights Centre Place Melbourne

1999 Smoke Free
Citylights Hosier Lane / Centre Place Melbourne

1998 Citylights 2000
Citylights Hosier Lane Melbourne

1998 Some New Shit
Citylights Centre Place Melbourne

1994 Centre Place Artists Project
Centre Place Melbourne

Exhibitions Solo

2025 This is The Problem with Self Improvement
Garage Gallery Mullumbimby

2022 – 2023 Write Here Write Now
Falls Festival Byron Bay

2020 Left Field of Dreams
Falls Festival Byron Bay

2019 Your Eyes Are Like a Cup of Tea Teahouse
Splendour in The Grass Byron Bay

2019 Sure Got a Lot on Your Lips
Splendour in The Grass Byron Bay

2018 La Henge
Falls Festival Byron Bay

2018 Material Receives in Your Eye
Splendour in The Grass Byron Bay

2017 – 2023 Cow Lick
Falls Festival Byron Bay

2016 Early Man
Bna Hotel Koenji, Tokyo

2010 Victor at Collins & Elizabeth
Horse Bazaar Melbourne

2007 Berlin Derlin
Until Never Melbourne

2005 Too Bad You’re Gonna Die
Box, Melbourne

2004 Thend. TM (with Ash Keating)
Citylights Centre Place Melbourne

2002 Amac, Recent Work
Sahara, Melbourne

2001 Amac, New Work
Bus, Melbourne

2000 Boutique
Citylights Centre Place Melbourne

2000 Irie Spot
Citylights Hosier Lane Melbourne

1998 Karisma (with Paul Sloan)
Spencer St Gallery Melbourne

1998 Shady Lane
Citylights Centre Place Melbourne

1996 Turned On (with Michael Delaney)
1st. Floor Artist & Writers Space Fitzroy

1993 Espresso Head (with Richard Brownfield)
Mario's Fitzroy

Exhibitions Group

2023 Byron Bay Print Fest
Byron Bay Scout Hall NSW

2022 Mushroom Loop
Beach Hotel Byron Bay NSW

2020 Japan National
Group Show Japan National Byron Bay

2017 Apollo
Artstate Lismore, Byron School of Art Curated Project

2017 Show Me Your Privacy
Byron School of Art Project Space

2009
Platform Melbourne

2008 Xmasea Miniatures
Sea Cell Byron Bay

2006 Rumble
Until Never Melbourne

2005 Bits and Pieces
Bright Space St Kilda

2004 Rats Alliance SubUrban
National Gallery of Australia Canberra

2004 Skylounge
National Museum of Australia Canberra

2004 Zaishu Project
The State of Design Festival, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art Melbourne

2003 Permit Zone
Citylights Hosier Lane Melbourne

2003 67 Percent Say They Were Misled
Sweden Bridge/Vienna, Melbourne, Temple Bar/Dublin

2003 Compost (Ion)
Platform Melbourne

2003 Bongon03
Bus, Melbourne

2002 Eternity Now!
Cube37, Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston

1999 Materiality
Project Space, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne

1999 Smoke Free
Citylights, Hosier Lane Melbourne

1998 Eight Rad Dudes
Citylights, Hosier Lane Melbourne

1996 Inaugural Citylights Exhibition
Citylights Centre Place Melbourne

1994 Centre Place Artists Project
Centre Place Melbourne

Publications

2019 Wilson, Ingrid. Q&A With Gallery Director, Andrew McDonald – Arts Norther Rivers

2017 Wilson, Alana. Byron Bay’s Arts Vanguard. Byron Arts Magazine (Bam) Winter 17. Issue 6

2012 McDonald, Andrew, The Andy Mac Collection – Street and Fine Art Art from Citylights Projects 1992-2012, Leonard Joel

2011 Mac, Andy & McTavish, Magnus, Artwork images, Art Park Journal #2

2010 Andy Mac Interview Plus81, Volume #48 May 2010

2009 Hayden Case. Hosier Lane, Laneway, lanewaymagzine.com.au

2009 Hutchinson, Carrie. Metrospectives Wallpaper, April, P.134

2009 Carver, Simon. Citylights Melbourne Living, Vol 4, #1, P.84-87

2009 McCulloch, Susan & Emily. Australian Art Diary 2009, McCulloch & McCulloch, July

2008 KW Doggett (publisher), Art, Andy Mac, Life, P.8

2008 Alsop, Shani. Citylights, Baba Cool, #2, P.32-34

2008 Summers, Arwen. Life In the Fab Lanes, Tiger Tales, Sept/Oct, P. 56

2008 Antony, Rachael. Artbeat Qantas Magazine June. P.49-50

2008 Westbury, Marcus. Curators, Creators and Catalysts Artlink Vol28 #4, P.16-20

2008 Westbury, Marcus. The New Folk Art Not Quite Art Episode 2. ABC TV

2007 Backhouse, Megan. The Renegade, The Age Melbourne Magazine Top 100 Most Influential, P.86

2007 Simon, Danni. Stencil Art Australian Creative, Feb/March, P.28-29

2007 Dew, Christine. Uncommissioned Art An A-Z Of Australian Graffiti. Miegunyah Press. P.119

2007 Corner, Lena. Making Space, Artist Run Initiatives in Victoria, Via-N, P.82-83, 158-162

2007 McCulloch, Emily Street Art, Graffiti and Stencil Art, The New McCulloch’s Encyclopedia of Australian Art. Miegunyah Press P.914-917

2007 Lonely Planet – No.1 Cultural Destination in Australia – Street Art Lonely Planet Blue List

2006 Heagney, Din (Ed.). Art/Street Art The Melbourne Design Guide 2007/08 P.84-89

2005 Jackson, Tony (Director), Collins, David (Writer). Six Degrees Season 2 - Melbourne TV Series, Lonely Planet

2004 Fisher, Tim. Citylights And Street Art – Street Cred Australian Design Review #32 P.140-143

2004 Stappmanns, Vivianne. Street Art Takes on World Square Desktop #199. Nov. P.40-44

2003 World Signs #2 Winter Issue, P.24

2003 Pike, Sophie. Up In Lights Monster Children Vol1 #3, P.44

2002 Adams, Adie. Andrew Mac Citylights Organiser Stu Magazine Vol.1 #15 July

1999 Kaiser, Helen. Misty (Inside)Interior Review #13 P.47

1999 Obrien, Siobahn. Misty Monument, Special Issue P.110-113

Accolades

2007 The Age (Melbourne) Magazine
The Top 100 Issue. 100 Most Influential – Arts, Andy Mac

2007 Lonely Planet Blue List
No.1 Cultural Destination in Australia, Hosier Lane Street Art

Speaking

2012 The influence of Keith Haring on Melbourne’s street art scene
Keith Haring mural, former Collingwood Technical College, Melbourne

2009 Approaches to Public Art
Regenerating Community Conference, RMIT, Melbourne

2009 Old School Graffiti
Chair, Melbourne Writers Festival, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

2009 Spooky Action at a Distance
Hotel Hotel, New Acton Canberra

2009 First Australian Stencil Art Prize
Judge, Oh Really, Sydney

2008 Citylights and The Rats of Melbourne
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane

2008 Art and The City
Adelaide Festival of the Arts. Adelaide University

2007 Citylights and The CBD Insurrection
Focus Fest: Agent Provocateurs. Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney

2006 Howard Arkley Retrospective
Audio Guide, National Gallery of Victoria

2006 : The Escape from Woomera Effect: inherent contradictions associated with the funding of public art projects
Art in Public Space and Social Change: Contention or Consensus National Symposium, Gasworks Arts park, Melbourne

2006 Urban Design Seminar
With Rob Adams, Head of Culture and Planning, City of Melbourne

2005 Public Art and Street Art - Discussing and Debating Art Issues and Ideas
Curriculum Seminar for VCE Teachers, National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square, Melbourne

2004 Critical Culture
Next Wave Festival, Melbourne

2004 Citylights & The Rats of Melbourne : street stencils as printmaking
Place Made, Fifth Australian Print Symposium, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

2004 Cities: Culture & Infrastructure and Documenting Cities
Urban Theory: Straight Out of Brisbane Festival, Brisbane

Workshops

2021 Dr Deb Stokes: Are we losing an Island? monitoring mangroves in the Richmond River.
Creative Producer. Citizen Science program. NRCG. Ballina NSW

2021 Jugan Dandi - Deb Cole, Tania Marlowe: Weaving Nyangbal Yarns of the Richmond River
Creative Producer. Citizen Science program. NRCG. Ballina NSW

2021 Ignite Youth Animator Stop Motion Program - Two-Day program
Creative Producer. NRCG. Ballina NSW

2021 Ignite Youth Animator Stop Motion Program - 8-week program
Creative Producer. Southern Cross School of Distance Education. NRCG. Ballina NSW

2021 Ignite Youth Animator - 8-week program
Creative Producer. Bunjum Goori Youth Program. NRCG. Ballina NSW

2019 LED Milk Bottle Night Light
Splendour in the Craft, Splendour in the grass. Byron Bay NSW

2018 LED Milk Bottle Night Light
Splendour in the Craft, Splendour in the grass. Byron Bay NSW

2017 Badge making and LED Milk Bottle Night Lights
Splendour in the Craft, Splendour in the grass. Byron Bay NSW

2016 Speed Punk Quilting
Splendour in the Craft, Splendour in the grass. Byron Bay NSW

2015 Speed Punk Quilting
Splendour in the Craft, Splendour in the grass. Byron Bay NSW

2014 Busted Salon de Beautie
Splendour in the Craft, Splendour in the grass. Byron Bay NSW

2010 Ochre stencil prints workshop: Biik Land
Indigenous artists of Frankston & the Mornington Peninsula, Baluk Arts, Victoria

2009 Aerosol stencil prints workshop: Nairm Djambana
Indigenous artists of Frankston & the Mornington Peninsula, Baluk Arts, Victoria

2007 Aerosol stencil prints workshop
Deadly Arts Business, NAIDIC Week, Gasworks Art Park, Melbourne Victoria

2006 Autism Spectrum Artists Workshops - 10-week program
Alpha Spectrum, Port Melbourne Victoria

Film & TV

2022 Mushroom Loop
Producer, film maker

2021 Dr Deb Stokes: Are We Losing an Island? Monitoring Mangroves in the Richmond River.
Creative Producer
Citizen Science program
NRCG Ballina NSW

2021 Jugan Dandi - Deb Cole, Tania Marlowe: Weaving Nyangbal Yarns of the Richmond River
Creative Producer
Citizen Science program
NRCG Ballina NSW

2018 Howl and Moan at Falls Festival
Producer Amac
Director Jonah Levine

2012 Bushwacked!
S1.E11 - Melbourne. Self / Artist. Location Art, Hosier Lane.
ABC ME Australia

2012 Keith Haring - the influence of Keith Haring on Melbourne’s street art scene
Self. Interview. Collingwood Technical College Mural Restoration Project.
Hannah Mathews & Wendy Bignami
ACCA, City of Yarra

2012 Committee for Melbourne
Photographer: Lucas Grogan Timelapse Location Art, Hosier Lane. ABC ME Australia

2012 Race Around the World Norge 1
S.1.E.9 - Melbourne. Set artwork production. Teams search for stencils of Munch's The Scream in Hosier Lane. TV2 Norway

2010 Victor at Collins & Elizabeth
Producer, film maker.
Four projector, multi-screen film

2010 Stephen Tompkinson's Australian Balloon Adventure
S1.E2- Melbourne. Set artwork. Location Artwork, ACDC Lane. ITV1 UK

2009 Identities Project
Self. Until Never, Citylights Projects. Hosier Lane. Melbourne. Tourism Victoria

2009 English Bites - Learning English
Self / Presenter. Citylights Projects Hosier Lane. Australia Network

2007 Midwinter Secrets - Melbourne
Self Location Art, Hosier Lane. Ch 9 Australia

2007 Not Quite Art
S.1.E3. Self, Citylights, Until Never, Hosier Lane. ABC Australia

2007 Not Quite Art
S.1.E2. Self, Citylights, Until Never, Hosier Lane. ABC Australia

2007 Lonely Planet Bluelist Australia
Self. Melbourne laneways - # 1 Cultural Destination in Australia. Lonely Planet.LPTV Australia

2006 It's Easy to Lose Yourself - Tourism Victoria
Set artwork direction and production. Centre Place, Melbourne. Tourism Victoria

2006 Art Attack - Stencil Graffiti Until Never
Self. Interview. Until Never. Ch. 10 News. Melbourne Australia

2005 Lonely Planet TV
Interview Deborah Mailman. Self / Artist. Melbourne. Lonely Planet. LPTV Australia

2005 Ghostrider (2007)
Set artwork direction and production. Hosier Lane, Rutledge Lane, Melbourne. Columbia Pictures / Marvel Entertainment / Sony

2005 Criminal Art (Ha Ha)
Self. Interview. Ha Ha Citylights Centre Place. Ch. 10 News Melbourne. Australia

2005 Image Problem (Ha Ha)
Self. Interview. Ha Ha Citylights Centre Place. Ch. 9 News Melbourne. Australia

2004 Six Degrees - Melbourne
S.1.E.4 Self / Artist. Melbourne. Lonely Planet. LPTV Australia

2004 Extra Classic - Outside the Square
DVD. Producer. Citylights Projects

1996 Public Hangings - Citylights Projects
S.1.E. Melbourne Australia. Channel 31

Grants

2022 RAF Cultural Tourism Capacity Grant

2021 Arts Northern Rivers Micro Grant

2019 NSW Government Stronger Country Communities (Lone Goat Gallery Re-fit)

1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Australia Council, City of Melbourne, Arts Victoria

Collections

National Gallery of Australia
City Of Melbourne
Molonglo
Sandrew
Multiplex
MTV
Private Collections

Education

1991 - 1993 BA Fine Art (Photography)
Prahran College of Art (1991-1992)
Victorian College ­­of The Arts (1993)

Well hello!